Hero of a Different Time
by Xilent
Summary: The Hero of Time has yet to give his life a new direction after admitting his failure to find Navi. So when he finds himself at the start of another fight for Hyrule you can't blame him for doing the only thing he knows how. The only thing stopping him, is the fact that there's already another Link on the job. Time travel is tricky that way. Oot TP crossover. 3rd times the charm
1. Reflections

The Hero of Time was almost home.

No that's not right. He's not a hero. No one would call him that and as much as he loved this kingdom there was nowhere in it he could call home. All of his heroics have been lost through time. His triforce mark was faded. Every friend's memory of his help was erased. Even those who were involved in his quest could only recall a faint feeling of familiarity. That's what made his testimony against Ganondorf believable those years ago.

Princess Zelda had the best memory of them all, but she was still just a child, like him. It was Impa and the guards who had survived his 7 years of absence who helped push for an investigation. As the tip and helpful direction for the search for evidence, Link was able to follow the case up until Ganon's imprisonment and met with the seven sages who would carry out his execution.

They were all unfamiliar faces, save for Rauru. They weren't the sages he knew and fought evil with. They were the ones who would have been killed if Ganon was able to take the triforce. Apparently his friends won't awaken as sages until they all reached adulthood or when the sacred realm had opened again. And considering one was a Kokiri, that wouldn't happen any time soon. At least they'd be able to relive their lives normally.

He wouldn't.

There was never a "normal" for him to return to. Not a Kokiri, nor a normal Hylian. It seems everywhere he went he was always the odd one out.

Still, Link was returning to the kingdom he saved in a forgotten.

He walked Epona along a path, hands wrapped around the reins. His eyes stared at their feet. His mission to find his partner failed. She was the only one who knew the whole story, who knew what he had done for thousands of people. It took four years of wandering for him to admit it, but there was no way for him to find her. She was gone. And he was alone.

Epona lifted her head, ears flicking as if she had heard her song echo to her. She seemed to have registered where they were headed as she perked up and pulled him to a faster pace. His horse gave him a tug as if urging him to hurry. He felt a little guilty for pulling her along on his quest. She had obviously missed Hyrule and was happy to be home. Link let his lips curl to a small smile. He stopped in his tracks and let go of the reins. He gave Epona a gentle pat to go on ahead. There was no need to worry about anyone stealing her. After the events in Termina she showed more distaste for anyone other than her master coming near here and with her speed she would find herself in her old stable within minutes. Epona turned her head and gave him a nod before galloping forward.

At least one of them was happy.

Link stood listening to her steps get fainter and fainter as she got farther away. What did he hope to find by coming back here? Epona was on her way home and as soon as he could sneak in through the castle gardens he would return the ocarina of time to Zelda...Then what?

All of his friends had their own lives to attend to and he didn't even know where to start if he were to make one for himself.

Was he going to stop petty crimes? Redo the temples? Settle into a quiet life?

All of those options seemed boring and bland to him but they were the only ones available. There was a little reward in stopping crimes. Possibility of combat, though no petty criminal could match him in skill. It could provide a few funny stories to share with Zelda whenever he managed to sneak in and talk to her. That, combined with her dreams of the other timeline, was bound to keep a conversation going.

Redoing the temples and dungeons might be fun. Might be a little too easy since he had beat them once before and had a few items from Termina to jumpstart the exploration. However, it was the biggest thrill he could get in a peaceful kingdom.

As for foregoing his adventurous lifestyle and settling down with someone? Well, there was someone he was kind of fond of who would welcome his return with open arms. She was probably reuniting with Epona right now. She was someone he wouldn't mind being with, though the thought of romance was still weird to him.

It was strange to have this extra attention on him. Even when the world was swirling with chaos there were many who had spent time and energy to try and pursue a relationship with him. And that pattern only continued as he aged in his travels. It had puzzled him then and it puzzled him now. Even with Navi's explanations he had never understood their behavior. It was like he was missing something the whole world had and understood. It was the only puzzle he couldn't figure out. With that in mind, was it really fair to get in a relationship where he only mirrors affection.

Link leaned on the tree next to him. Becoming a hero had changed his life, but now that he couldn't be one anymore, he had no idea what to do with it.

He slipped his hand into his enchanted pouch and pulled out the ocarina. If he hadn't played the song of time and opened the sacred realm would things be different? If Zelda hadn't given him this instrument would Ganondorf still have taken over? He wouldn't have been sealed for seven years that's for sure. Might have had to play keep away with the stones and ocarina for those years instead but at least he'd live a life of heroics for that time.

Link turned the cold ceramic around in his hands. He wanted to do that again. More than anything in the world he wanted to feel complete again. With a purpose. With a goal. With the people who remembered him and not the ghosts of those who did.

Could he go back. Could he have that fate instead?

No. That would put people of Hyrule be in danger.

For him to put them back in peril for the sole purpose of him to play hero would be selfish. And as he had displayed in both Hyrule and Termina, he was nearly always, selfless. The former hero sighed. His eyes were still trained on the ocarina the familiar sapphire blue color glistening in his hands. His fingers traced the instrument absently. He was about to start back towards Hyrule when his fingertips felt a crack on smooth surface. He lifted his hand.

He knew for a fact that that wasn't there before.

Link had taken very good care of the ocarina since Termina. He wanted the sacred instrument to be in perfect condition when he returned it and he had done an excellent job of that, until now. He brought the ocarina closer to him as he examined it. It seemed that the imperfection was only getting larger and-if he was not mistaken-glowing. His curiosity and concern grew as more cracks began to form.

So many of the glowing fracture littered the surface that it looked more cyan than dark blue. He was sure one good blow to his borrowed instrument would shatter it.

And he couldn't let that happen.

What would he tell Zelda? She was the only one who had the slightest idea of what had happened to him, even if it was only through dreams. Link held tightly onto the ocarina as if his grip could somehow hold the thing together. It didn't break to his grip. In fact as he held onto it, he could have sworn the felt the shifting and breaking happen from inside.

He didn't have any time to think of how that was even possible. For when his hands shifted, a force burst through the ocarina. The sound of something hitting crystal resounded in his ear. The instrument was now completely bright blue and burning in his hands. The light and whatever magic was behind it engulfed him. For a moment he couldn't feel the ground beneath his feet and soon-

-Nothing at all.

* * *

Link woke up propped up against a tree. The sound of grass rustling beside him pulled him into consciousness. He couldn't help but frown as the circumstances made him think of the last time he was knocked out unexpectedly. The fact that someone was holding his ocarina, another shining similarity, wasn't helping. Not wanting this to be the start of another three day cycle, he willed himself to act even though his vision wasn't fully cleared.

"GAh!" The person connected to the arm he grabbed screamed.

They tried to pull their arm free but he held onto them until his vision cleared. When it did, he saw that the person with his instrument was not another skill kid but a girl. She looked a little younger than him and had a large traveling pack on her back. Her face betrayed a mix of surprise and panic. Being grabbed out of no where would surprise anyone.

Still, he kept his grip on her arm. She had his ocarina.

"This isn't yours." He said looking up at her. He held out his other hand and let out a heavy breath. It felt like he was holding that breath forever.

The girl wordlessly dropped the ocarina into his hand. He let her arm go and she gladly drew it closer to her as she increased their distance. The ocarina wasn't broken but it was still that bright shade of blue. Speaking of blue, the sky was still a bright color. He had reached the outskirts of Hyrule at noon and according to his instincts, he was out for 7 hours. It should be evening by now but the sky didn't look as dark as it should.

Thanks to the time he spent in Termina, he was extremely good at gauging how much time had passed. When you only have three days to save thousands of people, you become very time conscious. Link stood up and dusted the dirt off himself.

Well, whatever time it was, evening or midday, unless he wanted to sleep the same way he did on his travels, he better get to a town before the sun sets. Problem was, he couldn't remember which direction led to Hyrule. He blamed that momentary lapse of consciousness. It didn't help that the path looked different too.

Link looked at the girl.

She didn't look like a normal Hylian. Besides being pale and sporting different fashion, her hair wasn't the normal blonde or light brown. It was black. Her abnormally colored hair was covering her ears so either she had short but pointed ears or had those weird rounded ones. Judging by those combined features, he concluded that she was either on her way to visit Hyrule or just finished her visit.

Strange for her to travel on her own though. Normal people his age didn't go out on solo travels. Then again the kingdom was at peace so the scrawny girl wasn't likely to run into any trouble.

The girl was staring at him tight lipped and concerned. She looked alarmed and seemed like her mind was racing with thoughts. Normally he would have taken time to calm her but after that forced nap from the ocarina he wanted to give his back something to sleep on other than a tree or rock. Whatever she was thinking of was not of his concern. He just needed directions.

"Hey," She flinched when he spoke. "Which way to Hyrule?" He asked, looking at the two ways the path lead.

The girl took a few steps back along the path and slowly rose he hand to point in the opposite direction.

"Th-that way." Her eyes were still trained on him. They just met and she was stuttering? She was still staring at him too. Link let out a breath. When will this ever end? When he's old and grey?

"Thanks." He replied, giving the girl a nod and a polite smile before going on his way. He didn't want to deal with any more offers to accompany him or to show him around town. Hyrule couldn't have changed that much for him to need a guide.

Except, as he walked along the road, it seemed it did.

The path leading to Hyrule was winder than he remembered. The trees didn't look like the same type and there was much more small plants littering the sides, plants he wasn't familiar with. Which is a big deal for someone who had lived and grew up in a forest. Was this the same path he took when he left all those years ago? Maybe they made a new one? But this path was old enough to have nature try to take it back. Already the road was getting narrower and narrower as the grass overtook it.

Weird.

The path soon disappeared but he could already tell that Hyrule has most definitely changed. First of all there was a giant chasm to his left and what seemed to be perpetual darkness to his right. Both of which was not there when he left it.

He walked forward and found himself at a ledge. There was a heavily defined road below him should he choose to jump, but there seemed to have no way to get back up. One direction led and disappeared into the dark wall and the other led to a bridge stretching across the chasm. A spark of excitement appeared in him as he sensed the beginning of an adventure. A giant wall of what felt like dark magic appears as the sun sets and the hero of time just so happened to return. What else could this all mean?

He should be ashamed. He really should. The kingdom's peace was broken. People's lives were going to be in danger. But he couldn't help his smile when he realized he could go on an actual adventure again. He'll feel ashamed later. For now he must resume his role as hero.

Link switched gears. His eyes darted across his surroundings.

There wasn't much else he could tell about the black wall other than exuded powerful magic. While he could use magic, he wasn't well versed in it's nature and couldn't tell what the golden glowing markings on the wall meant. That left the bridge and where it led. Link narrowed his eyes at the structure. The gate on the other side was smashed.

That didn't look good.

Link started to move when a loud horn resounded from the other side of the bridge. It sounded twice and something dark materialized in the sky. He didn't have time to try and figure out what it was. Shortly after it appeared, several large boars with riders raced out of the broken gate. Some carried unconscious children. He took out his bow. There were five monsters carrying a hostage, two lagged behind them and one particularly large one was leading the group. That one was obviously the leader and didn't look like he'd be easy to take down.

There wasn't much space to on the road below him so it would be difficult to fight. That means he would have to shoot them down. First priority, the five kidnappers.

He could easily shoot the monsters while they were on the bridge but they might drop the kids into the chasm. There was some normal ground before the dark wall. At this speed they would get to the end of the bridge and to the wall of darkness in about ten seconds. There's no telling what will happen when they reach the wall so he better not take that chance. If he really tried, he could fire an arrow every second. Making sure each of them hit their mark extends it to two. If he misses or takes to long to draw, the might not be able to rescue them all. Again, he should be ashamed at how this excited him. He should be sad danger has returned. Devastated the peace he fought for was gone.

But again, he pushed away that guilt. He couldn't feel guilty and shoot straight at the same time.

Link took a steady breath as he took out his bow and aimed at the first kidnapper trailing behind the leader. The boar had just made it onto solid ground when-

"Hey!"

Link flinched. The reaction made the arrow flop off his bow and fall uselessly to the ground. He turned abruptly around and saw the black haired girl running towards him. What was she doing here?

Wait.

No.

What about the kids?!

Link hurriedly turned his attention back to the road. Half the boars had disappeared, into the dark no doubt. He quickly drew another arrow.

He still had a chance to save two of the children. He fired two arrows but in his hurry they missed their mark. One imbedded itself into a boar and the other knocked the quiver off of a monster. The two intended targets glanced up at him. Link was shaking with shock. He had missed. He had failed.

The monsters grunted and spurred their steads forward to avoid any more of this meddler's arrows. Link grit his teeth and drew another arrow. He could hear the girl getting closer, yelling something to him but he tuned her out. He shot one of the monsters in their chest before they disappeared into the dark wall. He was about to jump off the ledge and follow them in if the girl hadn't pulled him back. Link struggled against her but his haste made him sloppy. She was able to use her weight to tear him away. She slipped and fell to the ground and dragged him down with her. She sat up in the grass and continued her babbling.

"What are you doing?!" She shouted at him, alarmed.

"Some people just got kidnapped!"

"And what do you hope to do about it? You don't know what that thing is. You don't know how to deal with it." She gestured wildly to the dark wall.

"I can't just do nothing."

"All you can do is nothing! They'll be fine. But I can't say the same for us if we don't get out of here." She looked around worriedly. She bit her lip. "Look, I know you must be worried, but trust me, whoever was kidnapped will be okay. There's still enough time to leave the kingdom before things really get messy, so just follow me and-"

"-Those kids need help!" Link pushed her away and attempted to jump from the ledge. The girl grabbed his arm.

"They'll get help." She sounded so sure of herself and that confused him.

"From who?!"

"The hero. Link." The girl pointed towards the bridge where a teen ran across. Link's eyes widened as the boy got to the end of the bridge.

He was older than him, had dirty blond hair, shorter ears and a stronger build, but the boy she just called Link was so much like him. The older Link stopped just before the wall. It was glowing a bit brighter as he approached it. He looked distraught and anxious. The names of those who were taken rang out in his troubled voice, but Link couldn't even tell what he was saying. He just stood there, eyes transfixed on his look alike. It was only after the other Link had gotten pulled into the dark wall was Link's attention and shock pulled away.

He backed up, feeling dizzy all of a sudden.

His left hand started to burn and the faded mark of the triforce appeared once again. For a moment he could tell what was going on on the other side.

The other Link's soul felt like it was trying to be ripped out by the dark magic surrounding him, suffocating him. The triforce of courage helped him fight it off but in turn the younger Link felt weaker. He could tell the other Link was struggling too as he felt both the magic shoot through him and the grass beneath his hands as he fell to his knees. How strange it was, to be one place but also be in another.

"Are... Are you okay?" He blinked. His eyes refocused to what was actually in front of him and not of the other incarnation. The girl was beside him, her hand hovering in the air. She still looked concerned but was glancing in the direction she had came from.

The connection between them waned and Link could no longer feel what the other had. It seemed that the triforce and the dark magic had reached a compromise as he felt both swirling calmly in the other Link.

His mark was faint again, although, not as much as it was before. Still, it had confirmed what the girl had said.

That boy was Link. He had the spirt of the hero, just like him. That Link is supposed to be the one who saves his home, his kingdom.

But if that's true...

What was **he** doing here? While Link was thinking this, it seems the girl had just wrapped up the thoughts in her mind as well.

"Listen... If you don't want to take my warning, then I won't give it to you anymore. I tried. My conscious can't complain anymore so go ahead and take your chances staying here." She sighed and started to get up.

Link pulled her back to face him. She knew something.

"What is going on?"

* * *

Author's notes

... I hope you like my story ^^;


	2. Questions and Confusion

"What?" The girl said. Her eyebrows were knit together but it wasn't from confusion. He knew what a confused passerby looks like.

"You see a giant wall of darkness, hear people were kidnapped and you're not freaking out or asking questions?" The girl looked away guilty. "You know what's happening. You even came back to try and warn me of it, so I'm going to ask you again. What is going on?" Link tightened his grip.

"Urgh.." She struggled to pull away but couldn't get herself free no matter how much she tried to loosen his fingers.

"I'm not going to let you go until I get answers."

"You can't expect to hold onto me until you do. There's a lot of ground I have to cover and only four hours to do it and I-" she cut herself off. "Argh! If you want to stick around don't drag me with you. There won't be enough time for me to leave. I can't stay here!" Link took out his goron mask.

"Then you better talk fast." He said before he transformed. The girl yelped when the hand holding her changed from Hylian to Goron. He lifted her with his goron strength and jumped off the high ledge. "Because I'm not helping you get back up there until you do."

She looked much more fitting of the bewildered passersby now, except with a little more horror mixed in. For that, he felt guilty, but he had too many questions for that guilt to make him change his mind. He released her arm.

"Who-who are you?" She gasped, backing away what little she could on the narrow road.

"I-" He transformed back into a Hylian. "-am also Link."

* * *

If people hadn't been kidnapped and there wasn't a giant mysterious wall of darkness behind him, he would have laughed at her expressions. Her mind was clouded with a storm of thoughts and though he couldn't read everything, he could see what emotion controlled her. She was stunned to say the least and very very confused.

The girl really ought to work on her subtly as he could see every strange look she gave him as they crossed the bridge. He had thought it best to move away from the wall of magic seeing as something could lunge out and pull you through. As much as Link wanted to follow after the other Link and the children, he had no idea what was going on and needed to understand the situation first. He needed answers and this girl could provide him with some.

Thankfully, she hadn't given much resistance to following him but it's not like he gave her much choice. That wall was more than three times their size. However, she hadn't said a word since Link had introduced himself, lost in her own thoughts. This dead air was the exact opposite of what he needed.

"Talo! Malo! Ilia!" A voice cut through the silence, snapping both of the teens to attention. Link and the girl stopped right at the broken remains of the bridge's gate. "Are you out there? Colin! Beth! Kids!" The voice was calling out desperately. He sounded a ways away but he was getting closer. "Link! Where are you?"

He knew the man was calling out for the other Link but he almost opened his mouth and replied. That was his name after all and the last time someone had called out his name with such concern was when he was knocked down by Majora back in Termina.

"Hide!" The girl had finally spoken up and her words were coupled with a push to the side.

"Why?"

"Assuming you were telling the truth, you not only have the same name as him but look almost exactly like Link."

"So?" He stood his ground.

"This guy is looking for him! And whoever those other people were." She mumbled that last part. She gave him another push, which he resisted. "If he sees you he's going to have a lot more questions other than the ones he's calling out now. And I don't want to have to be pushed to explain things when I myself am at a loss."

Link hummed. The other Link was wearing the same kind of clothes as the kids who were kidnapped. This was probably where he was from. This was his village that was attacked. And if they saw him, they'd mistake him for their Link. Ask and refer to things and people like he should understand. Expect him to be like the person they saw in him.

Just like Termina.

Link shook his head. Let's not give the village people or himself any more problems. They had enough emotional stress and unlike last time, the person he would be impersonating had a chance to come back.

"Okay. Where do you suggest we go?" He complied.

"Uh.." The girl stammered.

The area around them didn't give them many options. There was nothing big enough to hide behind. The spring ahead of them was a wide open area. Anyone who steps foot in there could see every inch of it. If they were to go amongst the trees their steps would make noise and the man would probably investigate. Most likely with the hope of finding the missing kids but also prepared for an encounter with any of the monsters that took them.

Link's eyes settled on the tree house in the distance.

"How about that?" He pointed to it.

"That's someone's house. We can't just go in there. What if someone's in it."

"There's no one's inside." He said with certainty.

"Even if there isn't anyone now doesn't mean there won't be anyone later. If someone walks in-"

"That won't happen." He shook his head already pulling her towards to house.

"And how would you know that?"

"Because it belongs to one of the missing people."

They were in the treehouse now, having crept over to the outskirts of the village and into the building without being seen.

Upon seeing the house he had known almost immediately that it was the other Link's. Just looking at it gave him a foreign but nostalgic feel which only grew when he stepped inside. It was a much bigger home than his, with upper and lower levels built in. It was also decorated with farming tools and books, things he never used. But even with all the many differences, somehow this place gave him the same homey feeling his own treehouse gave him.

"Stop looking so grumpy." Link commented as they situated themselves around the upper level window. The girl didn't look as pleased to be inside as he did and stuck near him in the unfamiliar house.

"This was essentially a breaking and entering. And being a strange look alike of the owner doesn't justify invading their home." It seemed she had caught on that this was the other Link's house.

"You didn't have any other ideas so," Link gestured around him. "Here we are." The girl seemed to frown even more.

"Yes. Of course. Let's just invade someone else's space why don't we." She mumbled avoiding the touch of any of the other Link's belongings. "I find it strange how oh so comfortable you are barging into someone else's home. Do you do this often?"

Link chose not to answer that.

The girl narrowed her eyes at his silence as Link turned to look outside the window. She was still looking at him. He kept looking out the window because there was so much to look at out the window and not at the girl's knowing and judging gaze.

As it turns out there was something to see.

Link's gaze fell on the floating black object in the sky. That thing appeared when those blaring horns sounded out, just before the monsters ran off with the children. He had almost forgotten about it. The appearance of another Link seemed more pressing of an issue before, so he pushed it to the back of his mind.

He would have to keep an eye on it. It was very similar to the wall they had seen earlier but this one glowed a different color. The mysterious floating magic was very close to the village and could pose a threat.

That's another thing he's forgotten, these people and most likely all of Hyrule was in danger.

"I can't believe I'm still here." The girl mumbled. It was just above a whisper but Link's sensitive Hylian ears still heard it. Link turned away from the window. She had her arms folded and was leaning against the wall. "I planned for months, got everything I needed, and just so happened to run into someone who doesn't value life."

"Hey, I value life." He had saved thousands of them. "I value everyone's life, that's why I need you to talk." The girl huffed.

"You apparently do not value mine since you're putting it in danger right now. Or yours, seeing as you like running towards possible peril."

Link furrowed his brows. Was Hyrule's situation really that bad, that even out here she feared for her life?

"What kind of danger are you talking about?" The girl didn't answer. She was back to being tight lipped and unhelpful. "If it's that bad then I need to know before-"

"Augh!" A man cried out in pain. It sounded like the same person who was calling out for the kidnapped children.

Link stuck his head out the window. He heard faint sounds of a fight and a body dropping. Link's blood ran cold. That man didn't just die did he? He could hear something slowly stumble their way towards them and the village. Link backed into the house and drew his bow, aiming it at the path. He held his breath and waited for something to appear.

He saw the glint of a sword and nearly let the arrow fly.

Nearly.

"Rusl!" Another man called out. Link turned and saw a large man standing at the village's entrance. He put away the bow and let out his held breath.

"The children. They're still missing." Rusl said weakly. He already had some bandages wrapped around his arms and head but he had gained a few new injures while searching. He limped forward. The large man ran over to Rusl and tried to help him walk.

"They'll come home safely. I know they will." The man sounded like he was trying to convince himself as well. "We just have to wait. But first," The large man guided Rusl to the village. "Let's get those wounds looked at."

Link watched them disappear into the village, eyes trained on Rusl's injuries and small blood trail as they left. He was probably hit over the head with a club, presumably to keep him from pursuing the kidnappers. The arm wounds were most likely from arrows. They didn't look like they affected him that much seeing how he still held his sword with ease. Those injuries can easily be treated with some rest and red potion. He wished he could say the same about his recent leg wound. It didn't look like he'd be able to walk with that any time soon. It would take months for it to heal.

Link's hands gripped at the window sill.

"-Before more people get hurt." Link said slow and sharp. He turned to the girl with a determined look. "You need to start talking." The girl scowled at him. "The faster you give me answers, the faster you can be on your way."

"I would have already been out of here if I hadn't ran into you."

"You chose to come back."

"I chose to clear my conscious and try to spare someone the trouble of being trapped in a twilight turned Hyrule for several months! What I did not choose was to get dragged off by a shapeshifter and be trapped myself."

"A Twilight turned Hyrule?" Link questioned. It was approaching twilight right now but he was sure that wasn't what she meant. The girl narrowed her eyes at him, refusing to elaborate. Link put a hand on his hip. "Unless you can scale a wall. I'm your only way back to your path out so start explaining."

A tense silence filled the room and Link was beginning to feel a little antsy.

As patient as he tried to be he couldn't help but feel a soft pressure. Several little villagers were kidnapped in front of his eyes and the man who went looking for them was considerably injured. If the path blocked by dark magic led to Hyrule then the rest of the kingdom could be rampant with the same kind of violent activity. He needed to know what was happening. There were lives at stake and the guilt he had pushed off earlier was finally crushing him.

"Well?" Link urged her to answer.

"This isn't something easily explained. There's too many elements at play and too many things I don't want to tell a complete stranger." The girl let out a frustrated breath. "I don't even know where to start."

Link tapped his foot. This approach wasn't working and the guilt of involving her was beginning to chip at him. Even if it was for the greater good he shouldn't be involving bystanders like this. Perhaps he should be a little nicer.

"You can start with your name." Link walked closer to her. "I already gave you mine afterall."

She glanced at him, expression softening slightly.

"...Serena." She was still irritated, but not as much as before. Common courtesy seemed to have worked a little. Now to get her talking.

"Okay Serena," Link leaned on the other side of the window. "Can you just answer my questions? I want to know what's going on and if I can do anything help." He offered a small smile.

"You can't." Serena mumbled. "This is beyond what normal people can do."

"Well, I'm not normal." He offered.

"You're going to need a lot more than a few abnormal tricks to even make a dent in this crisis." Ah. She must be talking about his transformation into a Goron. He did have a lot more than that but he was a little curious.

"Like what?" He raised a brow. "What more do I need?"

"Hmph. I don't know, maybe the guidance of the goddesses." She snarked.

"Oh, like having the triforce of courage?" Link grinned.

"Yeah. That would work. Get yourself one of the pieces of the triforce and maybe then I'll-oh goddesses you have one." She stared bug eyed at the left hand he raised. The mark might be faded but the symbol was still noticeable.

"Then you'll what? You'll help me?"

"That has got to be fake." She mouthed. And as if the goddesses were finally listening to him, the piece he possessed started glowing. The girl was taken aback. You can't fake that.

Link let out a slight chuckle. It was probably reacting to the other Link's activities and for this, Link silently thanked him. He might have failed to defend his village but at least he had amazing timing.

"So does this qualify as me being goddess guided?"

"You-You didn't steal that from him did you? Link is the one who needs it." This struck a chord.

"No...This is mine." He knew that being a 'retired' hero meant he didn't need it anymore, but he was rather attached to it. It was on the back of his hand for crying out loud. And even if it wasn't, the triforce piece was his for his adventure. If he could help it, it was going to stay that way. "And as I said before, I am also Link."

"You can't be Link because he was Link. He's supposed to have the triforce not you."

"I think he does." Link mused. "I could kinda feel it. Felt it earlier actually. If I hadn't I wouldn't have believed you when you said he was Link."

"So why do you have it too?" Serena leaned heavily on the wall behind her. She began mumbling. "It's impossible. There can't be two. There's shouldn't be."

"But there is." Link responded. Somehow time travel made it possible.

Her head snapped to look at him, examining him under a critical eye. Her face betrayed her confusion and anger. The anger was probably directed at him for making her confused.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" She asked much louder than she had before.

"Ha. Now you're the one asking questions." Link said, his hands on his hips.

"Considering how nothing about you makes sense, it would be unreasonable for me not to."

"Then let's try and get explanations for the both of us and make a deal. I'll answer your questions if you answer mine. Answer for an answer."

Serena eyed him suspiciously. She was holding onto her initial attitude but the burning desire to know was winning her over.

"If I say yes will you promise to let me leave?"

"I'll let you go."

She bit her lip.

"Fine, but only what you absolutely need to know. I don't want to waste anymore time."

Link let out a breath. Finally. She was cooperating. He leaned towards the window. First thing's first. He pointed at the dark object looming over the spring. "What is that and is it dangerous to the village?"

The girl shifted to look.

"All I know is that it's something you want to avoid so yes. It's probably a threat." She stated with a huff.

"Okay, then what's this 'mess' you talked about? What's happening in Hyrule?"

"Not so fast. Answer my question. Who in Hyrule are you?"

"I am Link. What is happening in Hyrule?" He repeated.

"THAT DOESN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION." Serena growled, hands moving around her to express her distaste. She was back to openly disliking him.

"You couldn't answer my first question. We're even. Unanswered question for unanswered question." Link stated.

Serena looked like she wanted to strangle him and was actually going through the motions with her hands. It was as amusing as her expressions but he'd prefer to get on with the questions. Link didn't react to her anger and just waited for her to answer his new question.

After a minute of glaring she finally spoke with an irritated tone.

"The 'mess' is Hyrule being cloaked in dark magic. It's been taken over by the leader of the Twili and his army of Shadow beasts. They..." She tapped her finger as she thought. "Hold on." She took out a book from a smaller bag attached to her belt and flipped through it. "They will break out of their dark prison and under the rule of the forged king will scatter the Lights of Hyrule, shrouding the kingdom in Twilight."

"And the Twili are…?" Link questioned. Serena was scowling at him. "This is still part of the first question. Clearing things up don't count." He gestured for her to answer him.

"Ugh." She made a face and flipped through her book again, this time paraphrasing what it said instead of giving a direct quote. "The Twili are the descendants of the Interlopers who were banished from Hyrule for trying to take over the sacred realm. And before you ask," She held up a finger to halt any interrupting questions.

"The Interlopers were experts in magic from a diverse set of backgrounds. While they brought about new styles of magic and created a variety of weapons, the kingdom was in chaos as they tried to seize control. Their most notable creations are the Fused Shadows and the Shadow beasts. There isn't much about the Fused Shadows," She mused as she turned over a page. "But there's a bit about the Shadow beasts. They were augmented beings transformed by Twilight magic. They were some of their realm's strongest monsters and used in the Interloper war."

"And now in this war." Link hung his head in thought.

"This isn't a war." Serena informed. "Since Hyrule was taken so quickly, we can only assume it was overwhelmed and forced to surrender. Most of the fights must have taken place already and you can't have a war without battles." She shrugged. "That's not including the small disputes anyone who perishes on the side."

Link turned to Serena, her phrasing disturbing him. "And you thought breaking in a house is bad? Your kingdom is in trouble, people have probably died and you're just calmly talking about it like it's just a number."

"Oh I'm far from calm. I'm still at risk until I get out of here." She rolled her eyes. " And forgive me for not being amused by the kingdom's conflict. If I remember Hyrulean history correctly, this is not the first time an evil king tried to take over Hyrule. I believe the last time this happened, it was a King of Thieves instead of a King of Twilight." Link's ears pricked up. "That was nearly-" She turned a few pages back. "-nearly two hundred eighty years ago."

"Two hundred..." Link's eyes widened.

The ocarina of time had sent him three centuries into the future. That was a large amount of time to travel and would explain how such drastic changes could happen to Hyrule. But that begs the question. Why in the sacred realms did it send him that far forward?

Link shook his head. The excerpt Serena had used to describe Hyrule's circumstances sounded a lot like the ones he had heard from the Deku Tree and the four Giants. Vague and ominous.

"What were you reading earlier? A prophecy?"

"A book." She retorted. Link gave her a glare. Serena sighed, and replied with less spite. "It was a prediction, and as you can see, it's coming true."

"Where did you hear it?"

"Does it matter? It's accurate." She shifted uncomfortably. "There's clearly an evil trying to take control and Hyrule won't be safe until Link-not you, the other one-saves it."

Link tapped his foot. She said it's not him but he had a hard time believing that. There was no way he wasn't sent here for a reason.

"What if I did help Hyrule?"

"You can't."

"Is there something that says I can't?"

"Er.. no but-"

"Then why can't I be the one who saves it? I have skills, weapons, and this." He held up his left hand. "I even have kingdom saving experience. I could have Hyrule back to normal in no time or at least faster than the village boy."

"B-because you're not supposed to."

"How would you know that?"

"I just know." She fumbled her words.

"Was it 'foretold'? Was there a prediction saying I couldn't?"

"No. I-" She bit her lip. "You can't justify your wish to intervene just because the gods didn't go out of their way to declare you couldn't. And even if you could be of help to the kingdom, that doesn't mean you're capable of saving it. There's no possible way for Link not to be the hero. There are so many factors that aligned just so he could deal with this dilemma. The goddesses will only help the chosen hero and not any well intentioned soul who wants to try and make a difference."

"Well, there's gotta be a reason for my appearance. You don't just travel through time for nothing." Link threw his hands up.

"You what?" Serena started.

"You didn't ask but that's where I came from. A Hyrule a few centuries in the past."

She looked absolutely flabbergasted.

"How would you-? No. Just no." She threw her hands up, at her wits end with this stranger. "I find it hard to believe that the goddesses would set the stage for one hero to rise only to-to replace him with whoever you are! You change form, have a triforce piece and apparently travel through time?!"

She could pass off shapeshifting as some sort of enchantment and appearance magic. Try to convince herself that this stranger just so happened to share the name Link. But time travel? She had to draw the line in the sand somewhere. She had to make a statement. So she looked inside herself and asked 'what was she willing to put up with today' and decided.

Not. This.

"I've answered your many questions. Now would you please answer mine."

There was no avoiding it now. "You want to know who I am?" Link sighed.

"Yes. And explain why you have such an absurd list of 'qualifications' while you're at it."

"If I do you'll call me crazy." He scratched his cheek.

"I already have enough grounds to call you that now. You have absolutely nothing to lose. Unless you say 'I am Link' again. Then you're likely to lose a few limbs." A very empty threat considering she lacked the physique and weapons to do any damage to him. All it held was hostility but, he was a broken record earlier so maybe he deserved the animosity.

"Heh. Fair enough." Link took a breath.

Hopefully she'll still be in a talking mood when he tells her this.

"I am, or used to be, the chosen hero of the goddesses, the Hero of Time. I saved Hyrule from the Great King of Evil, Ganondorf, when I was twelve and Termina from the falling Moon when I was thirteen. I was able to jump through time and transform into different forms to do it but none of the people I saved, or the friends I've made will remember me doing any of that because time travel made them forget."

...

Silence.

Link looked up to see her incredulous face. Her usually narrowed eyes were widened comically and her hands were floating in the air as if they were trying to grasp his words for her.

It took her a full minute to respond and the first words were as he suspected.

"... You're crazy."

The rest were not.

"You?! were the Hero of Time?"

Link mirrored her look of surprise. She knew who he was.

* * *

Author's Notes

* * *

Sorry for the wait

I kept rewriting bits and adding things in here.

I'll try to get into a regular update schedule ^^;


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